Work to do in convincing physicians of JAK inhibitors in PsA, says survey

Plenty of pharma billions are banking on janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors delivering in some highly prevalent diseases.

Among their indications so far is psoriatic arthritis (PsA), with the Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) treatment Xeljanz (tofacitinib) gaining US approval in this setting in December 2017. It has also been approved in other major markets and is currently the only JAK inhibitor available for PsA, although others are in development.

But Xeljanz and other JAK inhibitors on the market so far have been beset by safety concerns. All approved therapies have received boxed safety warnings from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), advising of the risk of serious infection, malignancies and thrombosis.